Sleep for your school starter

Sleep is essential to many aspects of our health and well-being, and for our children, it is also important to their success at school.

Quality sleep improves mood and emotional regulation, makes it easier to focus and is crucial in the process of forming memories and retaining learned information.

How much sleep should my child be getting when starting school?

When we think about what good sleep looks like, we need to consider the full 24-hour period. Based on guidelines from the world’s leading sleep specialists, paediatricians and health services, a school-aged child should be getting around 12 hours of sleep, up until at least age eight.

For most of you, your little ones will have already dropped their nap but for those who haven’t yet, this is something you will need to tackle before September. This transition can take a little while for children to adjust to so where possible we would recommend getting this phased out as soon as possible. Our team have been trained on the best way to approach this, so if your child is with us over the summer, please speak to their key worker to discuss.

A well-structured and consistent sleep routine and the ability to self-settle are key to quality sleep, but when is the best time to start?

Getting started with your little one’s sleep routine

A sudden shift in bedtime can be stressful for children and it takes a little time for their body clocks to adapt. With all the other big changes they will embark on in September, as such, it is advisable that you start implementing a new sleep routine as soon as possible.

Start by thinking about what 12 hours works for you, when accounting for school drop-off, your working day and any after-school clubs or commitments you have as a family. Start shifting bedtime/wake-ups by around 15 minutes at a time, for around 3-5 days at a time.

Getting back on track

Some of you may already have ‘good sleepers’ but face the inevitability of the more relaxed routine that tends to come with the summer holidays or face adjustments to time zones if travelling abroad.

The summer holidays can be an exciting time, with lots of things going on and it is only natural to want your child to share in these fun experiences. Where possible, use time differences in your favour, be selective in when you deviate from the usual bedtime routine and get back on track as quickly as you can. Try to give yourself at least a two-week run before school starts to re-establish the ‘normal routine’.

Help is at hand

Adjusting to new sleep schedules, or interruptions to existing schedules can feel challenging to most children and as a result, to you as parents. But fear not, help is at hand. Simply Sleep is hosting a ‘School Starters Sleep Workshop’ on Wednesday 17th July, 7.30pm at Woodbourne Road and are offering all Hopes & Dreams parents a free place. Just follow this link (https://simply-sleep.co.uk/appointment-calendar/ola/services/copy-of-school-starters-sleep-workshop) to book.

In the session they will cover:

  • Why sleep is important to your school-goer
  • The science behind good sleep
  • How poor sleep manifests at school
  • Implementing a sleep routine in time for September
  • Dropping the nap (if still relevant)
  • Sticking to your schedule throughout the holidays/abroad
  • How to deal with behavioural challenges around bedtime.